On October 16, 2026, An Arrival by Water brought Indigenous artistic practices, perspectives, and ways of knowing to the forefront of the Toronto Biennial of Art’s public programming. Curated by Bert Whitecrow, Curatorial Fellow for the 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art, and developed in conversation with Mikinaak Migwans, Assistant Professor of Art History and Curator of Indigenous Art at the Art Museum at the University of Toronto, the program created space for Indigenous artists, community members, and knowledge holders to gather through shared food, conversation, cultural teachings, and song.

The program featured a shared meal, a panel conversation with Biennial artists Bonnie Devine, Taqralik Partridge, and Rebecca Belmore, and a facilitated drum social led by Jamie Whitecrow. The artists shared insights into their practices and new commissions for the 2026 Toronto Biennial of Art, exploring the stories water holds and the cultural and geographical histories, memories, and relationships it carries. Welcomed by knowledge carrier Rosary Spence, participants joined a gathering grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing, community connection, and the sharing of songs and teachings.

View the original program on the Toronto Biennial of Art website →